(Author's notes: I'm back!
For those of you who are wondering, it was nice to have a break but I'm excited to hear what everyone thinks of the upcoming chapters. I'm still a little behind. I have three chapters in the wings, but I would like to have six in reserve.
My convention went really well. I dressed up as Darkwing Duck, my husband was Launchpad, and my sons (ages 3 and 7) were Negaduck and Bushroot (they chose who they wanted to be). I did well on my sales, and I recovered a bit from going full tilt making crafts.
Now, for the results of the poll. In the last chapter, I had asked everyone which romantic couple you preferred. The results surprised me. First, I had a few people tell me that they weren't reading my story for the romantic aspect of it, which made me a little happy. I do love the romance, but it is interesting that there are here just for the plot.
So, I had eleven people vote. Starling X Charity received no votes (not surprising). Launchpad X Charity received 2 (one was my husband LOL). Fenton X Charity received only 3 (This surprised me the most because Fenity supporters are very vocal about their ship and I though there were more out there). And Darkwing X Charity won with 6 votes.
Who do I ship? That is still a question that will wait until the end of TSoF. As I said before, the ending is completely planned out, so the poll will not affect the ending. And since we're about half-way through the story, I'm guessing that TSoF will end sometime in April of 2022 if I can release a chapter a week.
Usually I try to answer questions or respond to comments individually, but because I was busy for a month, I didn't respond to the last round of comments. In these, I've had a few people ask if there will be interactions between certain characters. I have responded to requests like these in the past with "Maybe" because I haven't planned anything. However, seeing that I'm posting Chapter 27 and I'm working with a cast of fourteen characters, I'm thinking that more than likely, character interactions with everyone is going to be limited. This story is focused on Charity, Drake, Fenton, Launchpad and Jim Starling, and to keep the story moving smoothly, I'll probably limit it to interactions between these five and the characters that are important to the plot at the time. Since Gladstone is necessary for the next plot arc, there will be a lot of interaction between him and Charity, but probably not so much interaction between Della and Donald since their sibling relationship isn't necessary for the plot.
But do not worry. In the sequel, there will be a lot more variety of character interaction because the focal point won't concentrate on Charity. It'll be more like I was writing Ducktales Season 4 where there will be episodes focused on specific characters.
Now, I've rambled enough. Time for the next chapter.)
Twisted Strings of Fate
Chapter 27
Luck and forgiveness have a lot in common. Not everyone can get it, but once in a while, its cleansing for the soul to be given a little.
As Drake pulled up to the McDuck Mansion and directed the motorcycle to the garage, Della was waiting for them, a smug smile on her beak.
"Did you two have a fun date?" she asked as she organized the tools.
Charity pulled off her helmet, leaving her curly hair twice the size it usually was. She tried to squash it back down, grumbling about all the work she spent that morning making it look nice. "It wasn't a date," she said, setting the helmet on a shelf next to a few spares. "But I had fun. Although I think I prefer the Ratcatcher." Charity gave Drake a grin.
Drake positioned the Harley in a corner of the garage before kicking the stand down. "Come and visit me again in St. Canard, and I think I can arrange that. And this time, you ride in the back."
Charity nodded her head. "Yeah, the back is definitely much more comfortable," she said with a nod.
Della looked from the male duck to the lovebird, her eyes discerning. She caught their body language, how they seemed more relaxed around each other. Charity still looked like a girl in love but there was no sign that she was angry with Drake, who had removed his mask and costume. That single wardrobe change altered his presence entirely, more friendly and less over-protective.
She considered that she may have put money on the wrong horse. She would have to talk to Louie about changing her bet.
"While you were gone, a guest arrived," Della said, her expression changing at the thought of her cousin in the mansion. "Well, he kind of arrived a few hours ago, but it wasn't until lately that Scrooge found him. Anyway, he wants to meet you Charity."
"This is the guy who can help us find the Orb, right?" Charity asked.
"That's him," Della said wryly.
"Who is this guy, anyway?" Drake asked, helping to clean up the garage. "Is he some sort of antiquities dealer? The way your family tends to talk about him—or avoid talking about him—I almost think he's not exactly legal." He raised an eyebrow, indicating he wasn't cool if that was the case.
"Oh, don't worry about Gladstone," Della said with a laugh. "He's clean. Let's just say that he has a special talent that he just doesn't want broadcasted to the entire world, and we try to respect his privacy."
Drake and Charity exchanged glances, not looking reassured by that explanation.
Della couldn't blame them. She was slightly suspicious and Gladstone was her cousin. "He's our best bet at finding that orb-thingy. Don't worry. Despite how he acts, he's actually a good guy." Then under her breath, she muttered, "Mostly."
"Sounds great," Charity said with a smile. "Lead the way."
Still wearing the leather jacket, Drake put away his helmet and followed Della back into the house. To his surprise, Charity dropped back to walk side-by-side with him, her hand slipping into his. His heart warmed and a smile spread across his beak, seeing this as a sign that he had Charity's trust again. He loved feeling her smaller hand in his, although their fingers were chilled from the bike ride but slowly warming up.
Della led them through the house up to the third floor and into a large, luxurious room that appeared to be a study. In fact, it was the same study that only a few days ago, Charity, Launchpad, Fenton and Darkwing had found Louie in a locked panic room. All of Mr. McDuck's family, Mrs. Beakley, Webby, and Launchpad was there in addition to a tall, well-groomed duck dressed in a fancy, green suit.
"Ah, here she is," Scrooge said, standing up from his desk. "Charity, come and meet my nephew, Gladstone Gander. Gladstone, this is the young lady that I have told you about."
"It's nice to meet you," Charity said, holding out her hand.
However, Gladstone didn't take it. Instead, he walked around Charity, his eye roaming over her, but not in a suggestive way. His gaze was more akin to a professional looking over a new racing horse or luxurious car. "Yes, she'll do. We have a bargain, Uncle Scrooge. Oh, and I'll need Della as well."
"What? Need me for what?" Della demanded.
"What's going on?" Charity asked, taking a step back.
Mr. McDuck answered, looking none too pleased by the situation, "Gladstone has been able to narrow down the city that the Orb of Yue Xia Lao is in, but I'm afraid it's still a lot of ground to cover. He has agreed to accompany us and find the Orb, but only if he…how did you put it, Gladstone? Have Charity for the evening? And I'm not allowed to ask questions."
Drake stepped between Charity and Gladstone. "But I can. What do you want with Charity?"
Charity pushed the duck back, giving him a warning frown. "You say you can find the Orb, but how do I know you'll uphold your end of the bargain?"
"If it's going to get me what I want, then finding this orb of yours is a guarantee," Gladstone said while looking at his perfectly manicured nails.
"How?" Charity demanded.
Gladstone turned bored eyes onto her. "I'm lucky."
"More like dumb luck," Donald grumbled from his corner where he sat with folded arms.
Gladstone shot his cousin a glare.
"You're lucky?" Charity echoed skeptically. "How lucky?"
Gladstone smiled cockily. "Supernaturally so. Would you like a demonstration?" Before Charity could reply, he leaned against Scrooge's desk and asked, "Would you please lend me a few coins, Uncle. Oh, I'll give them back. I promise." He smiled slyly at Scrooge.
Reaching into his desk, Scrooge pulled out a coin purse and reluctantly handed over a half dozen coins.
"Let's talk odds," Gladstone said, relaxed and in his element as he fingered the coins. "Everyone knows that if you flip a coin, there's a fifty-fifty chance of getting heads or tails, correct?"
Despite the easiness of the question, several heads nodded, his tone captivating.
Gladstone held out two coins. "If I were to flip two coins, there is only a twenty-five percent chance of me getting two heads. Add another coin, and the odds are even lower of only getting heads. Does anyone know the odds of getting heads six times in a row?"
Huey's hand shot up into the air. "You have a one in sixty-four chance of getting six heads in a row, or about a one point five percent chance," he said quickly, smiling.
Gladstone shrugged. "Thanks, Huey. It's a good thing someone knows how to math in this family."
"Uh…Math isn't a verb, Uncle Gladstone," Huey corrected.
Bouncing the coins lightly in his palm, Gladstone paced as he continued, "That's a pretty low chance of me getting six heads in a row. A person would have to be really lucky to be able to do that, right? But there's always room for doubt, isn't there? Did I do something to the coins? Did I flip them just the right way where I could get heads every single time? It must be a trick. Don't worry, I've heard it all before. So, let's lower the odds even more to the impossible." He stopped for dramatic effect, a smug smile on his beak. "What are the odds of not getting any heads or tails?" He tossed the six coins into the air.
All eyes were locked on the spinning spheres, watching with bated breath as they clanked and clinked against the floor, bouncing before rolling in a line or in circles. When each of the coins stopped, they remained upright.
A chill ran through Charity's spine.
"Whoa," the triplets and Webby said together, getting on their hands and knees for a better look. Dewey grabbed a coin, flipped it, and watched as it landed on tails. The others tried different coins, only to have it land flat, never standing up.
Drake bent down and picked up the nearest coin. "How did you…"
"I told you. I'm extremely lucky," Gladstone said. "It's an unusual talent, and one I don't hire out for nothing. So, do we have a bargain?"
Charity glanced around the room. While she was fascinated by Gladstone, she couldn't see him in a positive light based on this first impression. He was too sure of himself, too cocky, and for someone who lived a life full of pain, she didn't want to count on anyone's luck. She was tossed between admiring him for his confidence and disliking him for having something that—more than likely—made his life easy and comfortable.
"The thing you want me to do, is it illegal?" Charity asked.
"Not at all," Gladstone said.
"Is it dangerous?"
"I hate danger. It's overrated."
"And you only need me and Della?"
"You two should be enough," Gladstone replied.
Charity thought through the deal before asking one more question. "Is there a reason you don't want to tell us what you have planned?"
"Yes," Gladstone said, his smile deepening. "I like to remain mysterious. It makes life a whole lot more interesting." Then his eyes roamed to Drake. "Plus, I'm afraid my intentions might be taken the wrong way, and your paramour over there is likely to punch me."
"I'd like to see that," Donald said with a laugh.
Charity rubbed her arm. "And you're absolutely certain that we won't be able to find the Orb without your help?"
Gladstone tilted his head. "Well, if you want to search the entire city of Tokyolk by yourselves, be my—"
"Tokyolk!" Charity exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Yes, that is where—"
"We'll do it!" she shouted, grabbing Gladstone's hand and shaking it fiercely. "Launchpad, we're going to Tokyolk!" Her voice had risen a complete octave and her beak was split in a huge grin.
"We're going to Tokyolk!" Launchpad shouted immediately after her.
The two shouted excitedly and jumped around like children until Launchpad picked the lovebird up and swung her around. The kids got caught up in the energy and danced around, cheering, "Tokyolk. Tokyolk. Tokyolk."
"Well, it looks like I made a lot of people happy today," Gladstone said, watching the display. "So, Uncle Scrooge, it looks as if you're taking everyone to Tokyolk."
"At least this trip is a treasure hunt," Scrooge said, rocking back on his heels. "This curse business has been a mess, but seeking treasure is more my speed."
"As long as you hold up your end of the bargain," Gladstone said, his voice lowering. "We made a deal."
"I know. I know. You just find that Orb," Scrooge muttered. He then clapped his hands, catching everyone's attention. "Alright, lads and lassies. Let's get something in our bellies. Mrs. Beakley, do you have dinner ready?"
"Indeed, I do," the housekeeper said promptly
The triplets raced out, still chanting the name of the Asian city.
"As for you older kids," Scrooge said with a smile, "I hope you brought your passports because I do not want to stop in St. Canard on the way."
"I never leave home without it," Drake said with a nod. Ever since he had done a few commercials for a company in Mexico, he tried to keep it on his person. Acting was a fast paced career, and most producers and directors wanted things done now and immediately. His passport had gotten him a few jobs in the past, so it was habit to carry it wherever he went.
Of course, Launchpad had his passport stowed in the Sunchaser. It had more stamps in it than a post office.
Charity grimaced. "Uh…I don't…own a passport," she admitted with lowered head.
"No passport? What kind of person doesn't own a…" Scrooge began ranting but tapered off when he realized who he was talking to. "It takes weeks to get a passport. I'm sorry, lass, but you can't get into Japan without one."
"Naw, she just needs her birth certificate," Gladstone jumped in. "Well…not legally. But if she has hers, then I'm sure I can persuade the customs officers to let us through."
"I can call my step-dad to find it and Launchpad could go get it," Charity said, brightening up. "Wait, what about Jim?"
"Lass, we can't bring that…that…brigand with us," Scrooge said staunchly, his expression fierce.
"But he has to," Charity protested. "After what Aphrodite did to him, I can't leave him behind. I won't put him through that torture."
"After the torture he has put you through, let him be a little uncomfortable for a while," Scrooge grumbled.
Charity shook her head. "You don't understand. While she was inside me, I could see everything. The spell she put on Jim, it wasn't pleasant. I can't…I won't let him suffer because of me."
Scrooge sighed. "Lass, you're asking a lot. My family's safety is more important."
"What about the medicine?" Charity asked. "If it's working, then he won't be a danger to anyone, right?"
Scrooge rubbed his head. "I don't know. The last I heard, it wasn't going so well."
"But it might still work," Charity argued. "He still has over a day. Can we please wait until then to decide? If the medicine is helping, he can come with us?"
There was so much hope in her eyes that even Scrooge found it hard saying no to her. "We'll see, lass. But don't get your hopes up. If that medicine doesn't work, we're leaving him behind."
"That's not an option that I have," Charity said bluntly. "He has to get better." She turned to Launchpad. "Especially since I made Launchpad promise to never go to Tokyolk without me. It's my dream vacation spot." She and Launchpad grinned at each other.
"This isn't a vacation," Scrooge berated.
"Oh, lighten up, Uncle," Gladstone said, hugging the shorter duck around the shoulders. "Didn't you hear your pet project? This has been her dream. After all she's been through, you can indulge just this once. What is all that money good for if not to enjoy the world?"
"Gladstone, don't you go thinking that my money is at your disposal," Scrooge warned, pushing away his nephew.
"Why not? You think my luck is at yours," Gladstone said, his usual smug air gone. "My luck. Your money. Are they not of the same value?"
Charity noticed the tension and inched away, grabbing Launchpad and Drake's hands and pulling them to the door. "Well, I guess I'll go see about that birth certificate," she said before making a hasty exit.
As the three walked down the hallway, Drake blew out a breath of air. "Whoa, and I thought there was tension in my family. Launchpad, what do you know of that Gladstone guy?"
Launchpad shrugged. "I actually haven't met him. I remember going to China because of him, but…something came up for me."
"Well, if that luck of his is the real thing, then finding the Orb should be easy," Drake said. "Although I don't like the idea of leaving something up to chance."
"Luck, not chance," Charity said. "And honestly, we could use a little good luck. Maybe Gladstone's…talent will help Jim."
"I don't think we'll need help with that," Drake said. "When I talked to him earlier, there were some…changes."
Charity's eyes lit up. "He is getting better?"
"Well, the doctor wasn't certain, but he was different," Drake said noncommittally. "And he kept asking for you."
A pink hue decorated Charity's cheeks. "I should go check on him." When she left hours ago, he hadn't looked good. If he was feeling better, Charity would rest easier tonight, and their chances of going to Tokyolk would be higher.
Launchpad and Drake followed her down to the basement room where Negaduck was kept. The first thing they noticed when they walked in was Dr. Hoggins slumped in her chair, arms folded and snoring softly. Fenton, from his own chair, raised a finger to his lips for silence.
"She needed the rest," he whispered to the group. In his lap was the tranquilizer gun. "But I'm glad you're here. I need to give Negaduck his next dose, and I didn't want to do it alone."
"How is he?" Charity whispered.
Fenton shrugged. "He's been asleep since I got down here, but he's muttered your name a few times."
In the cell, Negaduck lay on his side with his eyes closed. His hat, cape and jacket were on the floor, wearing only the red turtle neck sweater and black mask. He was shivering and sweating at the same time, the blanket twisted around his body as if he had been tossing and turning.
Fenton handed the tranquilizer gun to Drake and retrieved the keys, entering the cell with a bottle of water and two pills. "Hey, it's time for another dose," he said softly, shaking the man's shoulder.
Negaduck grunted. "Again? Was I asleep the whole time?"
"I don't know," Fenton said. "My shift only started an hour ago."
The cot creaked as Negaduck sat up. He took both items, slinging back the pills and gulping down the entire bottle of water.
"You also have a visitor. You've been asking for Charity—"
"No, I don't want to see her," Negaduck growled.
"But—"
"I don't want to see her!" Negaduck threw the empty bottle on the ground.
Dr. Hoggins snorted, her eyes blinking a few times sleepily.
Fenton stepped back, giving Negaduck a full view of Charity in the doorway.
"No! Get her away from me," Negaduck shouted, scrambling onto his cot. "How dare you let her come down here! Keep her away from me. Don't let her come down here."
"Jim," Charity whispered. She knew she shouldn't take his words personally. He was sick. The medication was harsh. He wasn't in his right mind.
But it still hurt.
Dr. Hoggins was on her feet in an instant, rushing into the cell. She held onto Negaduck's shoulders, trying to calm him, but then turned to the three standing in the doorway. "Get her out of here now. You're upsetting my patient."
That was enough to unfreeze Charity's muscles. She turned, bumping into Drake and Launchpad before she squeezed past them and raced down the hallway.
This is all my fault. All my fault, Charity repeated over and over in her head as she went upstairs and out the front door. He's this way because of me. My curse drove him crazy. I turned him into Negaduck. It was because of me that he was on Ithaquack and Aphrodite did that terrible thing to him. He hates me. He should hate me!
Once out of the mansion, she stopped to choose her next direction. She spotted the edge of the woods, remembering passing through the beginnings of a forest when on the motorcycle with Drake. Forests were dark and quiet and lonesome, which is exactly what Charity wanted. She sprinted to the trees, stumbling at the uneven ground. Only when she was out of breath did stop, leaning her back against a trunk and slumping to the ground.
She bent over with the intention of putting her head between her knees when she felt something within her clothing poking her uncomfortably. Reaching into her bra, she pulled out the phone Fenton gave her. She would have to find some other way to carry this thing.
Wait, Aphrodite texted me, Charity thought, turning the phone back on. She pulled up the texting app, seeing the message from the unknown number.
Change him back, now, Charity typed. Reverse the spell on Jim. I'll do anything you ask. Change him back!
She sent the message and stared at the screen, expecting a text to pop up any second. But nothing happened.
"Answer. Answer! It's not like you have anything better to do than to watch my life, which is what you want. Answer me, damn you," Charity shouted at the phone. When it still hadn't change, she threw it as hard as she could, hitting a tree ten feet away. She didn't need to see it to know that she had broken it, feeling bad since Fenton went through so much trouble to get it for her.
To her astonishment, the phone flew through the air and landed at her feet without a scratch on it.
So she's watching. She just won't answer me, Charity thought, picking up the phone hesitantly. I'm her little pet project. I'm her personal soap opera. Of course she won't release Jim.
She remembered what Aphrodite had said to Negaduck the day before, how she saw him as the perfect plot twist to make Charity's life interesting. Did that mean that she didn't want Jim to get better? Would Aphrodite prevent the medication from working?
She remembered something that her step-dad had said. A doctor's most important rule when seeing a patient was to "do no harm." He had said it several times. When she involved Mr. McDuck and his family in her curse, that was the least she expected: to do no harm. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. Involving Launchpad, Darkwing, Fenton and Jim was easy since she had been absolutely certain that they wouldn't come to any harm because of her.
But much harm had happened to Jim and would continue to harm him. Of them all, he was the only one who was better off not knowing her.
Pulling her knees up, she wanted to cry, to delve into her sadness and be immersed in self-pity. How could she expect Jim to forgive her? She didn't deserve anything more than his condemnation.
"Charity!" Drake called, moving to go after the lovebird.
"Don't you leave with that tranquilizer!" Dr. Hoggins ordered from inside the cell. "In fact, all three of you don't move. Stay here in case I need help." The pig had, before this time, been friendly and congenial, but her tone at that moment was filled with authority.
Fenton, who started to exit the cell, went back to help her with Negaduck. Drake, unsure what to do, just stood there with the gun in his hands. Somehow, Launchpad had the nerve to disobey, racing after the lovebird. With a sigh, Drake approached the cell to help.
"Don't bring the tranquilizer in here," Dr. Hoggins snapped. "Never bring a weapon close to a patient."
Drake turned and placed it on a chair before going into the cell. Dr. Hoggins was struggling to prevent Negaduck from pulling out his own feathers, but wasn't strong enough. Meanwhile, Fenton hovered as if he wasn't certain what he should do.
"I got this," Drake said, pushing him aside. Helping Dr. Hoggins, he prevented the older duck from harming himself, straining his muscles to over-power Negaduck.
Negaduck's hands grabbed Drake around the labels of the leather jacket as quick as a snake, pulling him close. Drake tried to pull away, but Negaduck's strength was compounded by his insanity. "Cal! Cal, you've got to keep her away from me," he said to Drake, his eyes feverish.
Hearing his father's name, Drake relaxed. "It's okay. She's gone. She ran away," Drake said. He tried to make his voice soothing but there was too much bitterness.
"She's gone? Good. Good," Negaduck said, relaxing. "Promise you'll keep her away. Don't let her come down here. Don't let her see me."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Drake said, remembering the look on Charity's face as she fled.
Negaduck nodded. "Don't let her near me. I'm dangerous. I'll hurt her." His eyes were pleading.
Drake's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He had misinterpreted Negaduck's meaning. He wasn't afraid of Charity; he wanted to protect her. "We're going to make sure she's safe. Don't worry about it."
"You've always been such a good friend to me, Cal. I'm sorry that you're dead," Negaduck said, his body leaning to the side, slowly lying down. "You shouldn't be here, Cal. You don't deserve to be in Hell. You should be somewhere else."
"You're not in Hell," Drake said. "You're alive. You're safe. Everything is going to be fine, Negaduck."
"Who is Negaduck?" The eyes behind the black mask were confused and wild.
Drake was quick to reply. "Jim. I meant Jim."
Jim Starling smiled, his head falling to the cot. "I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have asked you to do that stunt. Forgive me, Cal."
"It's not your fault. I wanted to do it," Drake said, putting the blanket over the prone form. "You couldn't have stopped me." He wasn't certain if Jim heard him; his eyes were closed and his breathing slowed.
"Well, that was interesting," Dr. Hoggins said, straightening up. "And it certainly was an improvement."
"That was an improvement?" Fenton asked from the other side of the bars, the tranquilizer gun in his hands.
"Of course. Not only has he shown remorse, but it seems he is ready to cast aside the name of Negaduck," Dr. Hoggins said, wiping her forehead. "I was reluctant to say anything before, but I think it's safe to say that the medication is working. But he's not out of the woods yet. He is still delirious and has more than a day to go." She followed Drake out the cell door and locked it. With one hand on her hip, she tilted her head at the two ducks. "Why are you two still here? Shouldn't you be going after your lady friend?"
"But, what about…" Drake gestured to Jim.
Dr. Hoggins took the tranquilizer gun. "I'll be alright by myself for now. Go."
They didn't need any more encouragement as they raced upstairs. In the foyer, they could hear Launchpad shouting Charity's name outside.
"Where is she?" Drake asked.
"I don't know," Launchpad said worriedly. "Ducksworth said she ran outside but didn't know which direction she went."
"Okay, let's split up and find her," Drake directed.
"Or I could just locate her with my GPS," Fenton suggested.
Drake stopped in mid-step, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "You put a GPS tracker on her?"
"No, but I can locate her phone," Fenton said. "If she has it on her, we can find her."
"She has a phone?" Drake asked. "Launchpad, did you know she has a phone?"
"Texted me today," Launchpad said, holding his cell.
"What's her number?" Drake asked, pulling out his own.
Fenton brought up the app for finding Charity's phone, and Drake dialed her number.
"She's not answering," Drake said when he got the automated answering service. "Crackshell-Cabrera, anything?"
"That way," Fenton said, pointing toward the forest.
They rushed through the trees with Fenton on point, dodging branches and foliage until they found a phone lying on the ground.
"Where is she?" Drake asked, picking it up.
Launchpad smiled and pointed up. Through the branches and leaves, they could see a few blue tail feathers peeking through. With a leap, Launchpad grabbed a large branch and swung up into the foliage with Drake on his heels.
Fenton frowned at the branch. He jumped, his fingertips barely brushing the branch. With a sigh, he went to trunk, attempting to climb the tree that way, only to find himself dangling a few inches off the ground. How long had it been since he climbed a tree? The lab wasn't exactly the best place to build up some muscles. And anyone would think that since he was Gizmoduck, he'd be strong, but the suit did all the heavy lifting.
A hand pushed out between the leaves. "Come on, Gizmoduck," Drake said, grabbing Fenton's wrist and pulling him up. As he helped the other duck settle on a branch, he gave Fenton a friendly—albeit wry—smile.
Sitting on a branch not that far away was Charity and Launchpad, the former with her knees pulled in as tight as they could go, hiding her face, the latter with his arm around her.
Drake hopped over to sit on her other side.
"You're going to make my branch break," Charity mumbled into her legs. "And then I'll really be sorry."
"You know that Jim didn't mean what he said," Drake began. "He's not in his right mind. He hasn't been for a while."
"I can't help him," Charity said, and her shoulders shook jerkily. Her voice sounded heavy. "I did this to him. It's my fault."
Drake looked at Fenton, then at Launchpad before smoothing down the feathers on his head. "Charity, all of us have felt guilt for one thing or another for something that is completely out of our control, especially this past week. Honestly, after I found out that you took a bullet for me, I wanted to hide in a closet."
Charity peeked one eye over her arm at him.
"I'm still feeling guilty for that second degree burn," Fenton said. "And also for the heartburn you'll probably have tonight. My mama's cooking tends to be on the extremely spicy side."
Charity's shoulders shook, this time from laughter.
"Hey, I'm living with twelve years' worth of guilt in one day," Launchpad added. "But I'm never going to run away from you." He took Charity's hand.
Drake put a hand on her back. "And you didn't hear what Jim said after you left. He wanted you gone because he was afraid of hurting you. Charity, the drug is working. He wasn't Negaduck. That was the real Jim Starling."
For the first time, she lifted her head up. "It was?"
"Yes," Drake said, leaning forward. "And I think it's because of you. Even though he's going through this difficulty, he's been very concerned about you."
Charity lowered her legs, letting them dangle from the branch. "Then he's getting better?" Tears glistened as the fell past her feet to the ground below. "Thank goodness. He's getting better."
"And he'll be able to go to Tokyolk with us," Launchpad said.
Fenton, who felt a little apart from the others, took a moment to register those words. "Tokyolk? We're going to Japan?"
"That's right. You weren't there," Drake said. "Mr. McDuck's nephew was able to track down the Orb to Tokyolk…through very strange means. So you should probably go home tonight and get your passport. You have a passport, right?"
"Oh, it's required as an employee of Mr. McDuck," Fenton said. "You would be surprised how often he goes on unplanned adventures and ends up taking some random person whose skills are 'indispensable'."
"What about Jim? He'll need his passport or birth certificate, too," Charity said.
"I know where he lives. I could always break into his home and get it for him," Launchpad said. When the three silently stared at him, he asked, "What?"
"He probably has an agent," Drake said. "If Jim has a moment of lucidity, I could call his agent and see if he could get the passport."
"I guess that's a better idea," Launchpad said, disappointed.
"And you need to call your parents for your birth certificate," Drake reminded the lovebird as he handed back her cell phone.
"Right," Charity said, taking it with a grin. She found her step-dad's number in the contacts and dialed. "Hey, Glen. I'm fine. Thanks for bringing me my things…Is everything okay at home?" There was a bit of silence. Suddenly Charity felt conscientious about making the call with the three watching her, and she wanted to keep it short. "It's going great. I think we've made some good progress. Glen, I need a favor. Do you happen to know where my birth certificate is? Mom does? Could you ask her? Okay, I'll talk to her."
Charity drummed her fingers against her leg, then played with the end of her skirt before she spoke again. "Hi, Mom. No, everything's fine. No, I'm not coming home. Yes, I know. Yes, I know. I know, Mom. Yes, he's still here. I'm fine. In fact, we have a really important lead about the curse. I just need my birth certificate…No, Mr. McDuck isn't trying to steal my identity. I'm sure he'd much rather be himself than me right now, especially since I don't have a credit history."
She gave Launchpad a cringing smile. He knew what her mother was like. "Mom, all I need is my birth certificate, that's it, but I can't leave the manor right now…Because it's complicated. I'm sorry, but I can't. No, Launchpad will get it. You just need to find it. No, you don't need to do that. Mom, you can't—Mom, I don't think that's a good—Mom! Listen to me. I just need—I can't do that…Okay…" Charity sighed. "Okay. I love you, too. Bye." Charity pressed the end call button.
"This…is…a disaster," Charity announced, pressing her palms into her face.
"Why? What happened?" Launchpad asked.
Charity groaned. "My mom insisted on bringing my birth certificate here. If I wasn't willing to go home, she said she's coming."
Fenton shrugged. "That doesn't sound so bad. She just misses you."
"Yeah," Charity said, kicking her feet. "It's not like I don't miss her and Glen, too. It's just…she's never liked Launchpad. And she absolutely hates Jim Starling. I'm sure she suspects that I've fallen in love a third time, but she doesn't know a thing about the two of you." Charity pointed to Fenton and Drake. "And it seems like whenever I mention the curse, we end up fighting. It's like she wants to do nothing more than pretend that it doesn't exists." She stared off in the distance.
Then Launchpad's stomach growled. "Opse, did I ruin a moment?" he said with a grin.
Charity bumped shoulders with him. "Come on, ya big lug. Let's get you something to eat." Slipping off the branch, she easily landed on her feet, pushing her skirt down as she fell.
Drake dangled from the branch by his legs before flipping over and landing on his feet.
"Show off," Charity muttered with a smile.
Fenton's exit wasn't so graceful. He tried to ease off his branch slowly and ended up losing his grip and landing on his butt.
"Ow," Charity grumbling, rubbing her backside. "Oh, it's been a while since anyone has done that."
"Sorry," Fenton said sheepishly.
But his tumble was easily put to shame as Launchpad dropped like a stone onto his back.
Charity grunted. When her friend didn't stand up, she asked in a rough voice, "You doing okay there, Launchpad?"
"My life has been a complete lie," he said, staring up at the trees. "But it's good that you always have my back, sis." He gave her a pair of finger guns.
Charity rolled her eyes. "I don't want you to change, but you need to be a little more careful now, Launchpad. When we do break this curse, I'm not going to be there to take away your pain." She held out a hand to help him up.
The large duck grabbed the hand and pulled her on top of him, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek before bursting into song.
"Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend."
Charity burst out laughing, trying to wiggle out of her friend's grip.
Fenton and Drake looked at each other, exchanging shakes of their heads and smiles before helping the two to their feet, joining in with the song.
"I'll help you carry on for it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on."